


Destination Unknown

by LostInSantaCarla



Category: Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Action, Angst, Blood, Drama, End of the World, F/M, Fluff, Gore, Magic, Murder, Romance, Sexual Content, Supernatural - Freeform, Vampires, Violence, post Emerson battle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 16:24:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8497051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostInSantaCarla/pseuds/LostInSantaCarla
Summary: Serenity Wood has discovered she's no ordinary girl. She can do things even science has yet to explain. The question she asks is why? A brief stop in Santa Carla for a quick break lands her deep in trouble when she is suddenly hunted by vampires.





	1. Duty Calls

David's eyes wandered the parking lot from his bike just outside 'VideoMax.' Max had summoned him there for a brief meeting, which wasn't too unusual considering his sire would call him to an unexpected lecture every now and then, but to meet here was just impractical. There were too many nosy human employees in the store for them to try and have a decent and private conversation. Not only that, but Max didn't like the boys snooping around his area of business, so he wondered what was so urgent that made this time different?

He pulled a lone cigarette from behind his ear and lit it up. The overbearing head vampire had yet to arrive, and David was becoming further impatient by the second. He hadn't had the chance to hunt yet that night and the hunger pangs were making his head, ache. Every mere mort that walked by looked like a tasty morsel. If his sire didn't show soon, one of them would be his behind the video store. He considered the thought all too soon as Max pulled up.

The elder glared through his glasses at David with a slight curl to his lips and killed the engine of his car, after which he finally gave a slight smile to his child. He grabbed the few papers he possessed from the passenger side seat, hastily stepping out of the car and then making his way towards the door of the video store. David hesitated before dismounting his bike, and threw his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with the ball of his foot, slowly working it into the pavement. If there was anything Max hated more it was David's will to agitate him while he waited for him to follow.

"Come, come now David," Max persisted, holding the door open for him. "Honestly, you make this more painful than it has to be," he clucked, before bidding his fellow employees a good evening as they passed the checkout counters. David nodded as well, dully acknowledging their presence, and in return received a few dim glares.

"Step into my office, won't you?" Max asked politely, as if there were any other option. "Did you know David, that the Unicorn was the very first animal named by Adam?" Max asked setting the small stack of papers he held down on the desk. The front page had a colored picture of a small code of arms printed on it, guarded by an elegant unicorn and rugged Griffon.

David looked at the papers then at Max hardhearted. "You know I don't believe in that shit."

"Now, now, watch your language. No need to get testy. I was simply asking." He straightened the papers so that they sat in a perfect square bundle. "There's going to be a few changes around her, David. We have company coming. A new girl in town."

David's eyes twitched in annoyance. Why would he care about some girl for anything other than a quick screw and blood meal? "We have a lot of new girls in town everyday, they're called tourists."

"Yes, well this one is different…" Max began, pausing as one of his employees interrupted by bounding through the door.

"We have an issue out here, Sir. Some guy demanding that he talk to the manager about a late fee," the young girl said, with a slight worried look cut across her simple face for having cut in on such an important meeting.

"Ah, I know exactly who it is too." Max replied, calmly rising out of his seat. "Excuse me for one second David, I won't be long." He left the office with the young girl tucked under his arm, leaving the door open a smidge.

David gave the door a quick shove with his boot and it shut entirely. He leaned back in the chair resting one elbow on the table and rubbed his chin, frowning down at the articles. He guessed by the looks of these important documents that Max had some ludicrous task for him to carry out.

He fumbled through them with one finger spreading them across the table, noticing that the words infused into the paper noted something about the end of the world, and something about a girl designed to stop it. But then it went on to state that there were several other humans with this design, but from the looks of it, Max had been tracking one in particular. There were also a few notes from his new business, The New Life Corporation, about genetics and magic and raising the dead. Raising the dead?

David rolled his eyes and looked away as Max came striding back in, being sure to close the door fully once more. He put his fists down on the table beside David, looking down at him very critically. "If you wanted to read these papers all you had to do was ask." He proceeded to straighten them again into a perfect pile. "This girl, you're going to watch her for me, David, and make sure she doesn't run into any trouble, understand? I need her to be in tiptop shape when the time comes."

"You mean like we did with the last one?" David asked in a mocking tone, giving Max a sideways glance with no flare. "The end of the world huh?"

Max looked down at him above the rims of his glasses and put his hands on his hips. "Don't give me any trouble, David, really, I'm not in the mood. If I find out that you or any of the other boys have toyed with her in any way, there will be hell to pay." He smiled and patted David on the shoulder. "Now, go find our girl," he said, jubilantly.


	2. It Begins

-Outside Santa Carla-

Serenity sat in the jockey's room pulling her boots on over her pants. She wore the usual white turtle neck shirt under her black and purple racing silks and her jacket hung loosely over her shoulders, unbuttoned in the front, and her hair fell down her back in a long braid. She also had her headphones on listening to the oldies, while trying very hard to get her mind off the chaotic current events life had thrown at her.

She put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath, blowing the air out so that her bottom lip stuck out a little further than the top one. Her silks just didn't feel quite right today. They itched her skin and made her feel cocooned. So in frustration, she undid the buttons on both her sleeves and rolled them up her arms, finally realizing that the room was vacant of all the other jocks that had already left for the paddock. This would be the perfect time to experiment again, she thought. Except the only sharp objects in the room were a few safety pins sitting on top of the lockers just in case one of the jockey's numbers decided to fall off their silks.

Looking around the room, she pondered what she might find instead that was sharp enough to cut skin and then remembered that she had a pair of scissors in her grooming bucket just inside her locker…but that would hurt too much. Oh, What the hell, she thought, reaching into the crowded cubby, pushing through the horse brushes in the bucket to find the scissors. Instead she got lucky and found a bot fly knife, which was more than efficient for the task, and sat back down on the bench hearing the old wood creak as she gazed down at the knife's jagged edge. "It only pinches for a second if that," she told herself, glancing quickly around the room again just to make sure no one was watching. Never mind the fact that the site of her own blood made her nauseous.

One more deep breath and her left hand reluctantly found its way out over her knees so none of the blood would stain her off white pants. She took the knife in her right hand and ran it swift and hard over the inside of all four fingers with a feeble groan, leaving only her thumb unscathed. The blood dripped through her fingers to the floor for one second before she dropped the knife and grabbed hold of the wounded hand. She hadn't realized a fellow jock had entered the room, and noticed her sitting quiescent.

He twirled his whip in the air and casually walked over to her, tapping her with it on the shoulder. This caused her to jump and turn her head towards him with a low growl as he noticed that she was holding her hands together and saw the droplets of blood on the floor. He took the initiative and removed her headphones, a look of awe on his face from the animalistic groan he had heard escape her mouth. "Serenity, are you bleeding? What happened? Let me see."

She shied away from him, guarding her hands from his sight, slightly confused as to why she would growl at anyone. "No, I'm fine, really."

He pulled her hand away anyway to examine it, even as she scowled at him for it. "Don't be silly, you're about to race. We can fix this real quick." He noticed the knife on the floor. "Those dam things can be dangerous sometimes," he continued, holding her hand up to look it over more thoroughly, yet finding not even a scratch. "That's funny, there's nothing here."

Serenity slouched over in relief and took her hand back. "Phew, I thought I cut myself."

The other jockey scratched his head in doubt. "Yeah, but there's blood on the floor." He reached down and touched it, rubbing it in-between his fingers. "It's fresh too."

Serenity just nodded. "Must have been from someone else," she shrugged and smiled. The other jock huffed as he gave up and smiled back, bopping her on the head with his stick.

"Silly girl. What are you doing here anyway? They're saddling your horse in the paddock. Wouldn't want to miss your race would you? Have all the guys in here give you a hard time about being late?"

Her mouth dropped open for a second as she noticed the time. "Oh shit," she cursed, buttoning her shirt quickly. The headphones were thrown carelessly back in the locker and slammed into confinement as she grabbed her helmet and saddle and ran for the door.

The paddock air made the nauseous feeling in her stomach dissipate. It smelled of cheap cigarettes, dirt and horses. Three things that made her feel right at home. It seemed like almost everyone at the racetrack smoked, which at first she hadn't cared for, but now it gave her an odd sense of peace when the day wasn't going just right.

She pushed through the heavy doors past the spectators, who watched as the horses were saddled, picking apart their confirmation in hopes of guessing who the winner would be, and rounded the small circle, entering the number five slot where the Black stood. He turned his head to see her and shifted his body to the wall, almost squishing the groom on the other side, who grumbled and pushed the horse back. Serenity couldn't help but chuckle as she passed him her feather light saddle. No doubt for them the Black was a handful.

Her part time trainer, Megan, stood at the front of the Black holding him by the bridle, and Serenity gave her a nod before reaching in to kiss the horse's nose, glancing once at the crowd that had gathered just outside the fence to gawk at him. "They're all here for you, handsome. We won't let them down will we?" The stallion flared his nostrils as if to say, no way, I'm the fastest thing here.

"Need help George," she asked, glancing back to see him fling the thin saddle pad onto the horse's withers, adjusting it so that it was even on both sides. It too was purple and had the number five printed on it in white.

"Sure thing," was his answer as he put a little square of soft foam on top of the pad and folded it back before putting the saddle over it. "Hand me that under girth will you?"

Serenity reached up and grabbed the rubber girth, handing it to George from underneath her horse as he impatiently sidestepped and pawed the ground. She gave him a rough pat on the shoulder for it. "Easy brat, we're almost there."

One last buckle and the Black was ready to. "Ok," George said. "He's all yours."

A few moments later an announcement raged over the loud intercom, 'Riders Up!' Serenity pulled one stirrup down and George took care of the other as Megan reached down to give her a leg up. "Give'em a bite of your dust," she winked. Serenity nodded taking her seat and gathered up the reins, tying them in a double knot as George led them out of the paddock into the light of day.

No time to think about difficulties now, she thought, gazing up at the large crowd in the grandstand. This would be a short race, no big deal, and after that they would have three weeks off. A much needed break in her mind, and as far as the Black was concerned, he needed one too. One start before this one had left him stumbling out of the gate. Never before had that happened. She chalked it up to too much status pressure; reporters and gamblers constantly trying to discourage another win from the great stallion. Not to mention the number five slot was not her favorite. She preferred to be on the outside where no bumping could or would occur.

Number four, a sleek chestnut stallion, calmly pranced down the inner rail ahead of them, while the number six horse right behind was trying to throw his rider. The Black pranced steadily between them, his head high in the air, looking forward to the starting gate ahead. Number one had already gone in and number two refused for a second to enter the steel trap. Then the number three horse stepped into the gate causing a sigh to escape from Serenity. That was her lucky number. As soon as number four entered in a calm manner, the Black followed anxiously into his own position.

Serenity adjusted her goggles and got a good grip on the reins along with a good wad of the Black's mane. His usual way of breaking launched the both of them right out of the gate like jackrabbits on crack, so it was always better to be safe than sorry and left sitting in the dirt.

Altogether there were ten horses in this race and the one to beat was number seven a bulky dark bay stallion named, One For Money. As soon as he was settled into position a short silence fell over the grandstands, with the exception of a couple jockeys' who made some small indiscreet noises as their horses moved restlessly, eager to be free. For those few seconds before the bell rang, slamming the steel doors open, time stood still. After that, it was an all out war as the horses heaved forward, fighting to grab the lead spot. As suspected, four and six bumped the Black on both sides, but he didn't falter. Instead, he stayed fast as he regained his footing. Serenity was jumbled a bit as well but steadied her seat, leaning over the horses crest as she looked out ahead through his perked ears.

They ended up in the eighth position along the back rail as the number two horse had taken the lead. One For Money was close behind and number one and three just behind them as ten had fallen to the back of the pack.

Serenity urged the Black on to pass four and nine, putting them in the sixth position as they thundered down the backstretch already halfway through the race. It was a steady pace and for now they were safe, but her horse pulled on the bit fighting to move forward again and pass up the other horses. "No, no, not yet," Serenity told him, pulling back on the reins. Number eight easily moved up along side of them, challenging her horse, and closed in to cut them off. This left Serenity no choice but to pull her stallion off the rail further towards the center of the track so they wouldn't get boxed in between the other horses.

As soon as the number eight began to pass them Serenity gave the Black his head and let him go, passing up eight, nine and six. One For Money had made his move past the number two and was now in the lead as they rounded the far turn. It was time to pour on the juice and the Black was ready. His nostrils flared inhaling more oxygen and he stretched himself out over the dirt. This was the signal for the jockey's to take to their sticks, yelling and shouting over their horses, urging them on roughly in a last attempt to take on the leader.

'And down the stretch they come!' The announcer yelled over the speaker. The crowd stood, hollering and throwing their hands in the air trying to influence their favorite horse to move faster and pass the finish line first. Serenity and the Black had moved to the outside and were passing the other horses as if they were standing still. The first to go was the three horse. Its jockey glanced at Serenity from the side with a look on his face that was anything but glorious. Next in line were number one and two, both of which were neck and neck, to busy fighting each other to notice the Black slip past them. Serenity and her horse were now hot on the heels of One For Money.

"Let's go handsome," she called out, feeling her horse surge forward one more time, tail held high. It put him head to head with the other horse and the Black tipped his nose in, playfully nipping at his opponent as if to say, 'You're out of here sucker!' He let out a snort and surged to the lead just as the camera flashed and Serenity held a hand up in the air smiling at another glorious victory for the pair.

…..

Later that night Serenity blinked sleepily up at the dark ceiling of her hotel room. The moon was shining in through the curtains and lit the place up better then any nightlight as the soft breeze from the open window blew the supple fabric from side to side. It still felt like a smoldering eighty degrees outside and it very well could have been. The record heat from the past few days' had left its mark on the nights that were usually cool. It mattered little to Serenity, she always carried a mini fan with her and had it running on high, gently blowing the tiny loose hairs on her forehead wildly around.

It couldn't get any better than this, she thought. Another win at the track, the sweet summer air, a surprisingly comfortable hotel bed, and all the little stars that were perfectly visible to her from it. Now if she could just bring herself to sleep. She was afraid of the dreams, the dreams that had been haunting her for months now. It was always her mom, how she died and the man that killed her. He was always after her in her dreams with those glowing orange eyes of his, the tall figure cloaked in black.

Serenity had only been three years old when this happened, but the details were still as clear as day in her mind, along with a few other remnants of memory that were too jumbled to recall. She had gone to live with her grandparents after that on a big farm in California not to far from the seaside town, Santa Carla. That's where her knowledge of horses was learned, and along with that came the stallion she fell in love with known as, the Black.

As she got older, she studied up on the myths and legends about vampires, certain the intruder that had broken into their house that night had been one. He had a certain smell to him that lingered for weeks after the attack. She never thought for one second that a vampire was a real thing, but now she questioned it, and with that questioning would come other dangers, as well as the discovery of her own mysterious gifts, her healing ability and heightened sense of smell. Was it because she had been touched by evil? It didn't matter really, one way or another she was determined to find the answers. A few good weeks on the sandy warm beaches of California would clear her head. Maybe even get rid of the nightmares. She wiggled and giggled in bed, excited about her next journey. Her eyelids drooped heavy at last, and she sank into a deep sleep.

…

Before Serenity knew it, she found herself driving down Front Street in Santa Carla, California in search of a bite to eat. The nightlife had taken over in this exuberant spot of America, and she suddenly felt very lost in the city of tourists and locals who didn't seem to care much about how they looked or dressed. It looked like fast food would yet again have to be her choice of meals this time around, even though she was sick of it, but the Black was restless and tired of being in the trailer. He had started his normal routine of kicking the walls to let her know it was time to get out of his confinement.

He screamed and kicked even harder as Serenity put on the brakes when she spotted a Thai restaurant, licking her lips even as her stomach growled at the thought of the spicy yet sweet and savory meal. No problem, she would just get it to go, and after she ate there would be plenty of time for a midnight ride on the beach the Black would surely enjoy. She pulled a complicated u-turn and entered the parking lot of the restaurant knowing that her truck and trailer took up about four parking spaces. In order to get in without any complaints she decided that the back corner of the lot under a few trees that shadowed the area was decidedly the best spot.

The Black screamed when he heard Serenity shut and lock the truck door and poked his nose through the small window of the trailer, smelling the air, knowing full well that this was not the correct destination. Serenity hopped over to him and touched his nose with her fingers, taking a whiff of the air herself. It was a bit rancid, like dead fish or animals and Serenity crinkled her nose. "Dam, I think we've come to the city of the dead," she whispered cracking a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

She left her overly anxious horse and walked into The King and I, inhaling the pleasant aroma of coconut milk curries, gingered spices and the many stir fries sautéing in peanut oil. Above the many booths dangled pleasantly lit green lights that set the atmosphere in subdued undertones, and above them hung several pictures of Thailand. But instead of playing the normal soft music one would think would be playing in that sort of place, there was a long list of eighties music, and it made Serenity smile. "That's the style I like," she whispered to herself.

A young man behind the counter offered her a menu. He was shorter than she, with dark hair and green eyes, American too, but she held up a hand in refusal. "No thanks, actually. I know what I want."

The guy took a pen and pad out of his left pocket and held them up, ready to take her order. "What can I get you?" he asked politely.

"The Pad Thai noodles with chicken, shrimp, and tofu, please. And can I get that to go?" she asked, turning around quickly to glance out the window. The trailer was rocking. She swung back around, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And can you hurry, please?" she continued, handing him a twenty and insisting that he keep the change. The guy nodded with a smile and went to place the order.

It was then that Serenity noticed a group of guys in one of the far corners of the restaurant being rather loud and obnoxious. From the tops of their heads, she counted four of them. It sounded like they were clinking their glasses together and throwing food, but she wasn't sure. "Crazy jack asses," she hissed and turned back to watch the cooks tossing her food together.

As this went on, she heard someone flip a quarter into the jukebox and a second later, 'Walk This Way' by Aerosmith, radiated through the speakers and Serenity found herself in beat to the music, swinging her shoulders left and right. One of the rowdy guys from the booth came up beside her and dutifully placed his black gloves on the counter almost too close for comfort, while his cohorts in the booth rocked and sang out loud to the song. She tried to ignore him and continued to look straight ahead, still going to the drum of the music. "You like Chinese?" he asked, slightly drumming his fingers. She pursed her lips and refused to look at him; just knowing he would probably have some smart assed comment, but his smell intrigued her. It was one she had smelled somewhere before, spicy and wild, like he had spent a thousand summers sleeping outside under the stars, and yet at the same time it was coppery like pennies. She had to keep from licking her lips as she thought of the metallic taste pennies had.

"This is _not ___Chinese," she huffed, cocking one eyebrow in the guy's direction to see if he would respond. "Different spices, different flavors…I'd say you were in the wrong place." She smiled slyly as the host returned.

"David! Come on man, we're growing old here," one of the other guys from the far booth yelled. Serenity shook her head and huffed again, trying her best to be patient in hopes that the unpleasant situation beside her would soon go away. 

"My apologies. No hard feelings huh?" The guy asked her, removing his hands from the counter to pull a wad of cash out from his over coat pocket. "You sure I can't get a number, or maybe show you around town?" 

The host sat her bag of food down in front of her and she winked at him. "Thank you," she said, turning the opposite direction of the other guy standing in her path. "Not in this life time," she whispered and headed out the door. 

David smirked and walked back to his table. Finding this girl had been too easy. Now if he could just turn the tables on Max, the bastard would be sorry he had ever searched the girl out, let alone send him on an errand to do his bidding. "Ok boys, let's go," he said quietly. "We've got some business to take care of." 


	3. Night Rider

After the quick takeout as promised, Serenity took the Black to the beach as a way to distress after the long hall. She had managed to find an old, overgrown trail that led from the boarding stable all the way down to the boardwalk and had decided it was in need of exploration. At a full gallop and bareback her horse was anything but calm. He lowered his head and bucked in play sending Serenity tumbling down onto his slick, black crest. It wasn't unusual for the stallion to react in this way after being stuck in the trailer for hours, so she let him hop and crab step to his hearts content and they moved further down the trail. When finally it seemed that the ants in his pants had ceased, she asked him to whoa and dismounted, proceeding to tie the reins up around his neck so they wouldn't fall loose or become tangled around his legs. With one last approving pat, the stallion was free to go his own way.

His master on the other hand, decided to study the layout of the beach and the waves as they crashed against the sides of her feet. All foamy and white, they felt like a pair of fuzzy cotton socks, and the sand slimy and sticky underneath them, squishing between her toes. A few feet away, seagulls pranced around, bobbing their heads back and forth, playing and gathering debris left from the oncoming tides. Their gray bodies matched the ocean perfectly, as did the stars in their own way, neatly tucked up in heavens, showing off their bright faces. The boardwalk was all lit up now as well in the dark just behind her. It bustled with people screaming and cheering as they went on each and every ride. Serenity turned to face it as a warm breeze swept her long, silvery blonde hair over her shoulders, and she breathed deep. The smell of French Fries and hot dogs crept into her nose along with a tinge of something else. A scent she had smelled before. It was distinct and wild, but her mind could not recall the exact day or time she had come across it.

Slowly, she made her way back over to the Black, who stood quietly near one of the lifeguard stations. He moved restlessly as she approached while still trying to figure out that foreign yet familiar smell. His black coat glistened in the moonlight, and he too smelled the air with nostrils flared, and ears pricked forward.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she told him, taking hold of his long black mane, and with a quick swinging motion she hoisted herself up onto his back. It felt good to have a horse like the Black beneath her. It wasn't just riding a horse, it was freedom and power, and as long as she was on his back she felt nothing could harm her. She took hold of the reins and urged him on over the sand, suddenly scanning the air. For what and why she wasn't sure, but the long stretch of beach they had been riding led straight up to the boardwalk. "Dam…looks like we'll have to cut this ride short," she whispered, and yet couldn't bring herself to turn the horse around. Something seemed to be pulling her; so instead, she gave him a squeeze with her legs and urged him on.

In the distance she could see a stairway that led straight into what looked like a covered arcade area and the rebellious side of her gave a shout to follow temptation and take the Black that way, but for sure, horses were not allowed. Instead, she shook the thought off and turned her attention back towards the area in which they had come from. The Black felt her gesture and rose high in the air before lunging forward. Serenity could feel the impulsion from his haunches as they moved faster and faster as if the same force was pulling him as well, but before the horse could reach mach ten speed, she pulled the reins tight, stopping him just shy of the cement stairs. People passed on each side, hardly giving them any notice accept for a glance now and then from the corners of their eyes. Serenity could hear the music from the carrousel loud and clear now. She didn't want to turn back. That something was still driving her to go further. She slid off the Black and tied him loosely to the tree. "Sorry, gorgeous," she shrugged, "But I've got to find out what that is." The Black disagreed now that she was leaving him behind. He pawed the ground and shook his head nervously as she disappeared into the crowd.

It didn't take long for the flurry of activities to overcome her. Both excited and anxious, she became disoriented in the mob and found herself stumbling over a garbage can into a back alley. She took a moment to collect herself and decided to watch from this more secluded spot, still unsure of what she was even looking for. At least this way, there would be no black eyes from trying to peak over everyone else's shoulders. After a few minutes of staring blankly into the comic book store across from the alley and finding no resolution, she decided it was time to leave. As she turned to go she caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye, just a bit further down the alley and for no good reason ventured further towards it.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see that it wasn't just one figure but two, except the second figure was significantly blocked by the first, a young guy, wearing chaps and blue jeans, and a denim jacket all done up in fine patches. He had long curly blonde hair, pulled back just a little at the nape of his neck, and he appeared to be making out with this person, but as Serenity got closer, she realized the second person had blood all over their neck, and the one with the golden curls was the cause. She fumbled back as her inner voice shouted, 'Vampire!'

"Oh my God!" she said, a little louder than expected, quickly turning away to find the exit out of the alley. "Not real!"

That very statement contradicted the belief she had been carrying with her through the years, but before she could make it out of the dark, three more figures surrounded her. "What's your rush little sis?" One of them asked playfully, mirroring her movements from side to side so she couldn't get by. "Don't you wanna find out what happens?"

Serenity froze, looking up at him hovering over her. Being trapped like a fly was not on her agenda for the night and anger caused her to frown and forget the fear for a second. "What do you mean by that?" Stupid question, she already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid you've seen too much," another said, piercing her with his arctic blue eyes.

"Seen to much of what exactly?" she asked, backing quickly away, running into the third figure with a quick glance back down the alley. "That freak parade back there?"

"We can smell your fear, pretty girl," the third one growled, his dark eyes brimming with the wild look of a wolf, his voice deep and overpowering. Serenity felt that they would pounce on her at any second and she would end up like the girl in the alley.

"I'm not afraid of you," she lied, shaking her head in confusion as she looked into the dark eyes of the one who had just spoken. It felt as if he were sucking her thoughts away. They were half in, half out of the alley and if the crazy thought she was having at that moment was true, would they really drain her in a crowd of people?  
"What could you guys possibly want from me?"

"Your blood," he said calmly. He put his hand on her shoulder and she felt herself moving closer to him completely under his thrall, tilting her head to expose the pulsing artery in her neck. She felt his breath on her cheek as she closed her eyes in submission. But the closure of her eyes instantly broke the spell, and she jerked up, trying to pull away.

Her only hope was to scream and that she did, yelling out frantically for the Black, causing the three strangers to look from one another to the area surrounding them. Her fingers instantly found her mouth and a whistle ensued while she fought to squeeze through the three menaces that for no rhyme or reason other than the fact she had seen something forbidden, wanted to kill her.

From further down the boardwalk came the screams of people rushing out of the way of the oncoming stallion. One passer by yelled, "Hey, there's a horse on the boardwalk!" This took the three by surprise and they stood almost silently, caught off guard, as they stared down to see what was happening. This was not something that happened to them…ever. The Black barreled down upon them, diving straight through the middle of the small group, causing the strangers to back away a little. He reared high, striking the air over one of them.

"Hey whooaa!" he yelled, holding his arms above his head. By then the fourth had joined, casually wiping the blood from his mouth, before giving Serenity a wicked smile.

"Catch me," she whispered, shooting the smile back at him, grabbing for the horses mane to hoist herself onto his back. She turned him back towards the crowd and was off, past the food stands and down the forbidden stairs onto the beach towards the trail. She urged him on into a full gallop once they hit the sand, hearing the sound of dirt bikes lurking behind them. If it was the four, she knew it wouldn't be long before they caught up. "Come on Black we need to go!" she hollered, wondering why the hell she had had the urge to coax them on to begin with as she leaned into the stallion's neck. The horse stretched himself out, swallowing the ground beneath him with every stride, moving faster and faster until it felt as if they could fly. Still, Serenity heard the bikes closing in. She knew in her gut it was they, and her stomach churned. This was foreign ground too no less and so far there was no place to hide in sight.

The Black was already lathered in white foam from sweat and his nostrils were working hard to keep the oxygen moving through his lungs. They had gone over a half-mile at full speed and he was lacking the strength to push any harder. Serenity could clearly see the bikes behind them now as they raced towards the dark, wooded area ahead. She quickly turned him off the path, jumping over a few boulders hoping to detour the bikes, knowing they would not be able to go over them like her horse could.

As they maneuvered in and out of the rocks and trees, Serenity noticed a large, sheltered cliff ahead with an inlet of layered limestone that she decided would be the best concealed hiding spot. She slid off the Black, grabbing him by the bit and smoothed her hand over his sweaty neck to keep him quiet. The bikes roared up just beyond the rock and rubble, their lights bouncing off the boulders around Serenity and her horse as she ducked down, pulling the Black's head down with her, kissing his nose. "Easy boy," she whispered. "Gotta keep quiet."

The four strangers hooted and hollered as the two sat in silence, Serenity barely breathing, clinging to her horses bridle for safety. What had she gotten herself into?

"We know you're in there," one of them said.

"And we're gonna find you!" another smarted in a comical tone.

"Hmm, where could she be?" Serenity heard one say. It sounded like the one that had almost sank his teeth into her, and she could hear him jumping from rock to rock, getting closer. The Black snorted and shook his head, pulling her off the ground.

"Shh, Black," she whispered.

"Shh," came a voice behind her, causing her to jump as she turned around to see the curly haired blonde. "Boo!" he blurted, smiling impishly. This startled the Black and he rose in the air again, but the rocks above prevented him from achieving a full rear. The boy grabbed hold of Serenity as the dark haired one seized the reins of her horse. Unable to tolerate this nonsense, the Black pinned his ears and bared his teeth, lunging at the guy, who easily managed to swerve out of the way still holding the reins. The joker of the bunch jumped in to help his friend by taking hold of the other side of the bridle and they both battled to keep the horse on all four feet.

"Aww, come on David, man," the joker, squealed. "We don't deal with horses!"

David was now in front of Serenity, clasping his gloved hands with an eerie air of calm about him. "Nice horse you got there. Care to calm him down before something bad happens?"

"No!" Serenity retorted in anger, trying to break away from curly and his firm grip. "He's a wild horse and I refuse to die the way you killed my mother! I refuse to die at all!"

Ignoring the first remark he smirked and said, "You seem a little wild yourself. Besides, who said anything about killing? Not me. Did you boys?" He turned slightly when he said this, giving each of them a glance over his shoulder before turning back to her. "And I didn't kill your mother."

"I know that's what you were planning," she squirmed. "I interrupted your little blood party. Let me go you bastard. What the hell are you made of…steel?" she writhed, unable to free herself and then finally gave up a little with a grunt.

"Hey," he whispered. "Name's Marko." He ran his lips down her neck and sniffed her hair, which sent a chilled, pleasing shiver all the way through her body, and she almost fainted. "You smell absolutely delicious," he continued, in a vicious and tempted tone.

"Smell…" Serenity sighed and shivered, rocking back against him, breathing deep, and felt the slight prick of his teeth on her skin. She realized then it was his smell she had sensed on the beach. "I can smell you," she said out loud, pushing off his chest just to have him pull her back again. "I could smell you on the beach earlier." She pondered why silently, forgetting for a moment her dilemma as his scent caught her off balance. David frowned as the other two still fought the Black, but the horse had also begun to quiet down a bit.

"Whoa, easy big fella," one of them said, only to have the stallion pull him in another direction.

"Marko," David voiced, and the vampire pulled his mouth away from Serenity's neck. "Yes, you're right. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time," he continued, but Serenity wasn't so sure. She got the feeling that this little meeting was somehow meant to be. "Do you know what we are?"

She slumped down in Marko's arms. "Yes," was her answer, and before giving it a second thought, she reached up and pulled out the sterling silver cross she wore under her shirt. She hastily slid it into the sleeve of Marko's jacket, pressing it to the skin of his arm. He yelped and released her, backing away quickly.

"Dam it all!" he cursed, clutching the sleeve of his jacket.

David glared for a second at Serenity, but all she could manage was a wicked, crooked smile in return. "Come get me!" she blurted, suddenly feeling catty and turned to run. It took David about the speed of a microsecond to catch her right arm, twisting it back over her head so sharp, she thought it would come out of its socket. He spun her around to face him and grasped her throat in his other hand. Serenity wiggled and gasped trying to get words out but it was no use, he was squeezing her airway shut and her vision was going dark.

"You're too smart for your own good," he growled.

"David, wait!" Marko yelled, knowing their orders. He hurried over to show him his arm. "There's no burn," he continued, suddenly mystified, rubbing the spot of contact. Was this why Max wanted her alive?

David pushed Serenity back, causing her to take an abrupt seat on the ground. At least now she could breath. "Looks like your plan failed," he said with a smirk. "Not so sure we can let you go now, at least, not completely. Especially since you know about us." By then the other two had brought the Black over and he stood still as they held him on both sides.

"Holy crap man, this horse is wild," the joker cracked. "So, we gonna kill her or keep her or what?" There was a bemused look on his face when he asked this question and a glint in the sky blue of his eyes as if some faded memory had surfaced.

Serenity caught it and shivered, crossing her arms over her knees and shook her head in disgust from the lack of affliction. The air had finally turned cold and the breeze from the ocean gave her goose bumps. Surprisingly enough, Marko opened his jacket and wrapped it around her with his arms. As Serenity's body warmed, her fear faded. Another mind spell maybe? She was having visions of his lips on her neck again, and she let her body fall against his.

Little did she know that David's idea was to take over Max's little project forever, not run around and baby sit, but now that she had stumbled upon them herself all too soon, the secret was out and David wanted to know more. "No, we're not going to kill her," she heard him say as everything went black.

Hours later, Serenity awoke in her cabin bedroom and looked around. She couldn't quite remember what had happened and for a moment forgot where she was. Someone had been there, she could still smell them, intoxicating her small space, and they had pulled the shades down over all the windows. She knew this because she usually left them open, even at night to keep the claustrophobic feeling away. There was also sand and salt all over the bottoms of her feet and it had created a mess on the comforter. "Just great," she muttered. "Nothing like sleeping with sand in your shorts."

She pushed herself off the bed, letting her eyes adjust to the dark and slowly made her way over to the kitchen sink. Incredible thirst had taken over and she filled a glass with water. It had never tasted so good as she emptied the cup and proceeded to fill it a second time, guzzling it down and peering out through the shades. "Still night," she grumbled, letting the last of the water trickle down her chin. "How long was I asleep for anyway?" she asked, looking around in the pitch black expecting someone to answer. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, there was no one there now, but who had been there? Why couldn't she remember?

She rolled up the shades and opened the window, taking in the fresh ocean air. A warm breeze rolled in causing something on one of her chairs to flutter violently and she jumped back. Finally realizing it was just a shirt; she smiled and sniffed the air catching the scent of horses outside.

"Oh no!" she gasped, grabbing her hoodie off the kitchen table. The microwave clock read half past midnight, which meant that she had slept through the Black's dinner time. But wait a minute. She took a step back and picked up the shirt. It was a black mesh top, nothing she owned, and the smell of it jumbled her senses. Who had been there? Where had it come from? With more than a tinge of worry, she hopped out the door, foreign shirt in hand and headed for the stable. Perhaps Carla, the manager, would have some suggestion. She only hoped that the girl had fed the Black for her earlier, otherwise he was likely to keep the whole barn awake, not to mention a few human neighbors.

Finally after what seemed like a forever sprint, she hit pavement, rounded a corner and almost crashed right into Carla.

"Goodness girl, it's about time you got here. That horse of yours is making quite the ruckus." She eyed Serenity up and down with a smirk. "Although, I take it you had fun last night."

Serenity put her hands on her knees trying to catch her senses, and held up the dreaded shirt. "I found this in my room."

"Oh, so you did have fun last night," Carla beamed.

Serenity frowned up at her, worried due to her lack of memory. "No, someone was there, I think maybe when I was sleeping."

Carla brushed her off and looked down the aisle. "Whatever you say girl. Sounds like a party to me. Anyway, I fed him for you, but somethin's botherin' him, and I don't dare step foot in that stall. Devil's snare that horse is." She half glared in the Black's direction.

Serenity straightened and took a deep breath as she went over to the horses stall, ignoring Carla's words. She was right though, the stallion was frazzled; sweat covered every inch of his chest and down his shoulders. "Hey brat," she whispered. "What's the matter huh? Come here gorgeous." The stallion hesitantly made his way over to her and stopped before his nose touched her fingertips. He tossed his head, snorted and reared. "Easy handsome, I'm sorry I'm late."

Carla came up behind her and nudged her shoulder. "So tell me…what did happen last night? Come on I give you free board here, you have to tell me the goods. Anyone in particular?"

Serenity turned to her and frantically held the shirt up again, shaking it a little for emphasis. "Someone was in my cabin, I have no idea who's this is, and they pulled all my shades down!" Certain visions and flashes started to skip through her brain, and the crazed look on her face lessoned. "Wait a minute, did you say last night?"

"That's right girl, you slept the entire day away. Anyway, it's about time you let loose. Probably good for the horse too, what with all those races you've entered him in."

"Yeah, but I don't remember." The Black caught scent of the shirt and pinned his ears, kicking the back of the wall. Serenity frowned again. "What is wrong with you?"

"He needs a tranquilizer, that's what's wrong with him, and too much booz'll do that to you," Carla said, pointing to the shirt.

Serenity went pale. "You don't think I…" she paused and gulped. "I mean…I didn't do anything I'm gonna regret…you think?"

Carla burst into laughter. "Man you worry to much, what with the two gorgeous guys that brought him back here for you, I'd say you had it made."

Serenity slumped down against the stall still pale, unable to clearly understand what Carla meant. "What?"

"Yeah, one guy on his back, and the other was clinging to his bridle for dear life. They told me you had had too much to drink."

Hearing this made Serenity drop the shirt and start to hyperventilate. "Whoa, you all right?" Carla asked, reaching to put a hand on her shoulder.

Serenity shook her head no and took a seat on the floor. "What did they look like?" she merely glanced up at Carla when she asked this, her eyes reddened as though she were about to cry.

"Mmm, yeah, I remember, a dark haired fella, Native looking. He was riding him, and a curly haired, young guy was leading him." Carla put her hands on her hips. "And here I thought you were the only one that could ride that horse."

Serenity glared up at her and through clenched teeth said, "That doesn't help me."

"I can't believe you don't remember a couple of hot guys like that. Looks like one of them got to you anyway." She eyed the bluish bruise on Serenity's throat.

Serenity quickly covered it with her hand, and as she hit the spot, the memory of golden curls came flooding back. "Marko."

Carla smiled. "Ah, so you do remember," she teased.

"It's not like that," Serenity explained as though some quick resolution had just entered her brain. She picked up the shirt with a deep breath and grabbed her horse's bridle. "I just got too messed up is all."

Carla blinked. "So just like that it's ok, huh? You sure you're not too hung over still to get on that beast?"

"I'll be fine. I need to clear my head anyway, figure some things out on my own," Serenity half mumbled. They had obviously let her go for one reason or another, she just wasn't sure why and she didn't know enough about vampires to know what their exact plan of action might be. In a way she felt half idiotic for taking off again into the night so soon after a brush with death, but the fear had faded. She slipped a bridle over the Black's head and swung herself onto his back. Her horse wasted no time lunging out of his stall, nearly knocking Carla over in the process.

Carla shrugged. "So you want me to watch out for the shade caper then?" It was too late. The ocean breeze carried her words away, as Serenity was already half way down the path towards the beach.


End file.
